The End of Humanity
by SweetHarmonee
Summary: Single or taken? Neither. I was looking for a zombie apocalypse survival partner. (Reviews are always helpful and very appreciated!)
1. Chapter 1

As I approached the abandoned building that used to be Palos Verdes High School, I shivered. And not because of the chilly breeze in the air.

Tonight I was trembling because I was reliving memories that seemed so distant. Our lives had been incredibly conventional just a few months ago. I remember being a normal teenage girl in high school – when my only worries were superficial and petty. My biggest concerns were other people's perception of me and issues with my love life. Yet, the "carefrontation" letter was in my review-mirror now, that girl was forever gone. In fact, I couldn't care less about Matty McKibben and if he was even still alive. The only relationship I was trying to define was one with survival. Even if there were still electricity and I could blog again, I'm not sure that I would. Who still cared about my "suicide attempt"? Not me. Not anyone else either.

There were much more serious things to worry about now… Like fighting for your life and staying alive.

When news about a man-made virus that was being tested on animals reached the ears of a group of radical animal rights activist, those damn liberals just had to do something. What did they do? They broke into the laboratory and released the infected animals. That's when society was pushed to the point of collapse. The virus started infecting people and changing them. The infected couldn't speak. Their skin would turn pale and start decomposing. Unfortunately, the infected weren't of the entertaining variety that'd you'd see dancing beside Michael Jackson in a _Thriller_ video. They wanted to attack and eat human flesh.

Teenage boys across the world rejoiced. Gamers were finally given their much desired zombie apocalypse. But the initial excitement eventually faded. The world is filled with danger and the remains of humanity are wallowing in suicides, anarchy, you name it. Because the only people that were still alive, were people willing to do anything to survive.

Now, I bet you're wondering how I survived. Darwinism, duh - survival of the fittest. But in all seriousness, there is one reason I have stayed alive this long. _Fuck everyone, everything, and run_. That was my rule. That's why I survived. My parents were long gone, they were among some of the first people in Palos Verdes to be infected. I hadn't seen Tamara, Ming, Jake, or Matty since the outbreak. Sometimes I wondered what happened to them. I was alive, but I was alone.

My new relationship status: Searching for a Zombie Apocalypse Survival Partner. My optimism will be the death of me - seriously. I am Jenna Hamilton.

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**A/N**: I love love love Awkward, and this is my first Awkward fanfiction. I hope you guys love the story I'm trying to write! I think it's a pretty interesting plot to run with & I seriously hope you enjoy it. Please, please, please look at the** review** box below, type in your opinions, & click post. Also be sure to** favorite** + follow my story if you enjoyed it. What do you guys wanna see happen to Jenna in post apocalyptic Palos Verdes? You can also follow +** favorite** me as an author by visiting my profile. Feel free to PM if you'd like. Review below, **follow**, favorite - Please! Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

Slowing turning the doorknob, I quietly crept through the doorway into what used to be the Palos Verdes Cafeteria. With a 9mm pistol grasped tightly in my hands, I kept the lever down and one finger on the trigger as I roamed the empty cafeteria. I had never been a fan of violence and guns, but the zombie epidemic definitely helped ease my transition. My Smith & Wesson was easy to use, held tons of ammo, and had saved my life a handful of times. This gun was my new best friend.

Pulling my flashlight out of my back pocket, I began to rummage through the cabinets of the cafeteria in hopes of finding some sort of food... anything. I hadn't eaten in three days.

I stopped rummaging. I swore I heard a thud. And then eerie silence. I wasn't sure if paranoia was getting the best of me, or if I'd actually heard something off in the distant hallways.

_Bang_. I wasn't delusional. I definitely heard something.

Cautiously, I craned my neck to peak around the corner so that the entrance of the cafeteria was in my line of sight. My heart clenched with the slight movement of the doors of the cafeteria. Clutching the trigger of my pistol, I exhaled and rose to my feet slowly. A whimper escaped my lips as my eyes met with two of the infected. They're skin was decomposing and they're clothes were covered in filth. The women wore pearls and a blood stained tennis skirt. She had clearly once been a member of the 'PV Moms' – a group of overly sprayed tanned trophy wives. The man was balding and wore the remains of a Armani suit. He could have been a business man in his former life. But no one in Palos Verdes cared about being elite anymore, there were no more social climbers or charity events. The world was completely different now.

Pulling myself away from my reminiscent thoughts about a _happier _Palos Verdes, I focused back on the two infected that were mindlessly roaming around the cafeteria tables. Only a barrier of countertops separated us. Without more than a second thought, I took aim, shooting the business man in the head. Brain matter splattered across the room as his corpse collapsed, making a loud thud as he connected with the floor.

That caught the middle aged infected women's attention. She twisted her head in my direction and she sniffed the air for the aroma of warm blood and flesh. I swung my pistol quickly in her direction, aiming for her head and pulled the trigger. The sound of a loud hollow click pierced the air. I pulled the trigger again. _Click. Click. Click. Click._

The infected woman smiled at me, revealing rotting teeth and black decaying gums. As I reached for an extra ammo clip in the pocket of my sweatshirt, she had quickly lunged forward across the counter-top in my direction, colliding hard with me and sending me flying across the kitchen floor slumped up against a wall.

She quickly approached me, crawling on all four across the linoleum tiles with obvious hunger burning in her gaze. I froze in fear as I realized she was blocking the only exit out of the kitchen and my pistol was nowhere in sight. She grinned at me with her decaying smile, her face mere inches from mine. She cocked her head down, sniffing the skin on my neck. The sound of her teeth snapping in excitement brought tears to my eyes. This was it. I was going to die. I had hoped that my death wouldn't this painful.

Drops of blood trickled from her missing ear and onto my chest. She jerked her head up and opened her mouth wide. Salvia pooled at the sides of mouth, running down the decomposing area where her chin used to be. I mentally prepared myself to kick her in the stomach with all my strength and bolt past her into the halls of the school. I created the scene in my mind. The infected moved with great speed when they were hungry. I was aware that the odds were against me.

But suddenly, without notice, the infected woman let out a loud shriek.

_Shriek. Thwack. Shriek. Thwack. Shriek. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack._

Blood splattered all across me. The corpse lay motionless. Brain matter and shattered skull fragments rested peacefully in a pool of blood on the linoleum. I looked up to see the blood stained baseball bat that had made contact with the zombie's skull. My eyes traveled from the handle of the wooden baseball bat up to the hand that held it. His handsome face was one I had grown quite familiar with during my Junior year at this school. With a cunning smile and a wink, he brought the baseball bat up to rest on his shoulder.

"Three strikes and you're out!"

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**A/N**: Hey guys! See that box you can type in below? _Review, Review, Review!_


	3. Chapter 3

Collin and I sat in the court yard of our former high school.

It was nostalgic, despite the smell of decaying human remains that fluttered with the breeze. The sight of rotting human carcasses had become a normal embellishment of every day life and here corpses decorated the cement of the courtyard. The pungent bouquet of human excrement and decomposing food also wafted in the air. Yet another normalcy.

Something about Collin had always made my stomach flutter, but that feeling wasn't as prevalent in this post-apocalyptic society. Although, I allowed my thoughts to linger a bit. This was the guy who I shared a kiss with, who I had cheated on my boyfriend with six months ago. I can remember being utterly consumed with concern about what I was going to do about the love triangle forming between me, Collin, and Matty – until I woke up the next morning after cheating on Matty with Collin. That morning I awoke only to learn all television signals across the west coast were down. The next thing to disappear was cell service. Then static even hit the radio stations the next week. All that was followed by screams for help echoed in the streets. That's how my parents became infected… they were trying to help our neighbors. I knew better. I ran and hid in our attic. And later kept running.

Suffice it to say, I hadn't seen Collin since the infection began. And I honestly hadn't thought of him since that day after our kiss. There were still remnants of feelings for him lingering, but thoughts about my own safety and survival prevailed. I had no yearning for romance.

As we chatted, I observed him. His eyes no longer held that penetrating and intoxicating gaze. His million dollar smile was nowhere to be found. Just as I was not the same Jenna anymore, he was no longer the same Collin. Although, through our casual exchange of words, it was utterly obvious that at least his superior intellect was still intact.

"My curiosity has gotten the better of me; what brought you to the school?" Collin asked, ironically handing me a piece of an apple he had been busy cutting into pieces as we spoke.

"Food." I replied, hastily shoving the piece of apple into my mouth. Collin smirked as he handed me another piece. "It's funny, I dream about food. I mean, I would kill for a burrito. In all honesty, if I stumbled across someone eating a burrito, I would literally kill them for it."

Collin let out a chuckle. "I don't think anyone would blame you."

"So, what brought _you_ to the school?"

"It's sort of a long story." He sighed, pausing a moment to look up at the night sky. "I was looking for someone. Someone important to me. We were supposed to meet back here a few weeks ago, but I got caught up gathering supplies and couldn't make it here safely in time…" He began to trail off. "I stop by the high school every day hoping she might… Never mind, it's not relevant anyway. Deep down I know she's gone."

_Angelique Welch_… his impossibly beautiful girlfriend - that had to be who Collin was talking about. The rejection and jealousy set in only momentarily. Then it faded.

Silence prevailed for a few minutes. But after the awkwardness in the air lifted, we sat for a while and just chatted. We talked about our journey so far, how we'd survived, how many Zombies we'd each killed, and loved ones we'd lost to infection.

"Don't you remember when everyone was ready to just sit this whole thing out and wait for it to 'blow over'?" I asked Collin, and he nodded in reply. "Tamara was one of those people. Last time that I talked to her was during the beginning before the phone lines went down– right after she'd lost her parents. She wanted to store a bunch of food, water, and barricade herself in her parent's house." I paused, remembering my last phone call with T, when she tried to convince me to stay with her. "I couldn't do it. Food would run out. Supplies would disappear. Staying in one place left you vulnerable. I didn't want to sit there and wait for something to 'blow over' when I knew it wouldn't."

"Jenna…" Collin placed his hand on my arm in reassurance. "You're a good person."

"You're an awful judge of character."

"But it didn't blow over. You did the right thing." Collin said as he placed his bloodstained hand on the side of my face affectionately. "But, isn't a best friend someone who would gladly go back for you in a zombie infested wasteland? You could always go check in to see if she's still there. I'd go with you, if you wanted."

I looked up at Collin. "You know, I think it could be a good idea if we stuck together. It couldn't hurt to have a cute guy around that knows how to use a gun." I blushed. "Unfortunately, it's really hard to meet guys right now, with the zombie apocalypse and stuff, so I'll have to settle for you and your baseball bat."

Collin broke out into laughter as he shook his head. He stood up and opened up his grey pilot's jacket. Underneath the grey wool fabric was a holster with a shot gun on his left and an assortment of pistols on his right. "Do you still doubt me? Would you like to see the arsenal in my backpack as well?"

Collin Jennings – The Ultimate Zombie Survival Partner.

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**A/N:** It wouldn't hurt to review, follow, and favorite my story!


	4. Chapter 4

"Turn left here. The gun shop is just a block away."

With barely any supplies, we decided it would be best to head into town before we ventured to Tamara's house. Thankfully, Collin's truck was still running so we didn't have to walk. We turned the corner onto the abandoned street. To describe it as gloomy would be an understatement. The sidewalks were stained a feverish red. Blood was everywhere. The deserted cars that littered the street had been burglarized, looted for fuel and parts, or scorched in the name of absolute anarchy. It was eerily silent for blocks.

"I have ammo, Jenna. We're going to need food and water. Maybe even medical supplies, but we don't need anymore ammunition."

"There's a convenience store across the street from it. Plus it wouldn't hurt to see what hasn't been raided at the gun store."

"I think this might be a bad idea." Collin spoke in a quiet tone as he slowed down his massive GMC truck. The silver paint on the truck glimmered in the sunlight as we parked in front of the broken down convenience store. Shards of glass littered the concrete in front of the store - obviously from where the windows used to be. Dust seemed to float in the air just outside of the windows. The storefront was mostly dark, expect for the few bits of sunlight that illuminated a section. From outside I could see that the shelves were barren, but there were still objects on the floor. The store had clearly been looted already. Still, there was no harm in investigating.

"You're overreacting… It'll be fine." I tried to be reassuring as we exited the car, but I was sure that Collin could sense the obvious uneasiness that accompanied the tone of my voice.

As we approached the store, I noticed a pile of crimson entrails blocking the doorway. Then the squawk of a bird startled both us. We both turned around to watch as a raven flew past with a human finger in its beak. _If that wasn't a good omen, I didn't know what was_. Collin and I exchanged weary looks before his bravery forced him to enter the store first. The hinges of the door squealed loudly as he forced it open. He paused in the doorway, holding his hand out for me to follow. Holding in my urge to gag, I took his hand and stepped into the doorway over the mass of raw bloody organs – possibly human, probably human, yeah they were definitely human lungs.

Neither of us was prepared for what we saw next.

There in the middle aisle of the store stood a beautiful blonde wearing jeans and a tank top. She was my age, thin, tall, and had lovely blue eyes. Besides the unused machete in her hands, it was as if the apocalypse had left her unscathed. In all honesty, it wasn't much of a surprise that Lissa was still alive. Theoretically, zombies wanted to eat our brains, right? And I'm not saying that she's stupid, but she's not exactly on the zombie menu either.

"Jenna! Collin!" Lissa let out a scream filled with relief as she skipped in our direction, dropping her machete, and embracing both of us in her arms. "I never thought I'd see either of you again!" She paused in her excitement and craned her neck away from us momentarily. "Wait… you guys aren't zombies right…?"

"No." Collin let out a small laugh. "Don't you think we would have tried to eat you already?"

"Yeah-h-h-h-h." Lissa giggled before letting go of us. "Anyways-s-s-s, you guys have to come with me! I've been with this guy Blake and his friends and they were taking care of me, but today I woke up and they were gone. Just poof – gone. And now you guys are here and things will be all better again."

"They just left you?" I asked.

"Yeah. I know, it made me sad." Lissa spoke quickly but cheerfully as she skipped towards the middle of one of the aisles, leaving her machete on the floor by the entrance. She began shoving a few cans of beans that were scattered on the floor into a pink backpack. "It's okay though. Because there's supposed to be a colony of survivors at the mall. They're working on the cure for the infection. That's where we're gonna go."

"Sure, there's a colony of survivors at the mall." Collin mocked, rolling his eyes. He began scanning the area behind the cash register, shoving cans of food into his bag. I followed him behind the counter. There wasn't much left; powered eggs, Pork & Beans, generic tomato sauce, canned peaches. "Just like there was a nuclear explosion in San Francisco. Just like there's a part of Long Beach that was immune and untouched by the virus. Just like the military was going to save us three months ago. They're just rumors. People just want hope. They've quarantined us. None of the rumors are..."

Collin paused suddenly, turning to look at me – the look in eyes screamed total dismay. As he mouthed the words 'get down', he used his right hand to pull the shot gun out from under his jacket and his left hand to pull me down behind the register with him. He pressed his index finger to his lips, letting me know to stay quiet.

"You're wrong." The echo of Lissa's voice traveled heavily through the dead silence. "God wouldn't let us down like that."

The overpowering stench of rotten flesh abruptly flooded the air. Something lurked in the darkness of the store. Death was among us.

"You have to have faith in God."

Those were the last words to leave Lissa's beautiful lips. Her high-pitched screams and cries were the next sounds to brim the room - accompanied by hollow moans and the distinct reverberation of limbs being torn apart. The clatter of teeth gnawing at human bone sent quivers down my spine. I closed my eyes and tried hard not to picture Lissa being eaten alive.

My empty fingers trembled with fear. I had stupidly left my back pack in Collin's truck. I was defenseless. Why had I let myself become this vulnerable? I scanned the small area behind the cash register. Thankfully, my eyes met with a rusted crow bar lying on the floor. I gripped the corroded piece of metal with both hands, holding it tightly against my chest.

Following Collin's lead, I slowly crawled behind him as he poked his head around the corner of the cash register. One of the infected slowly limped mere inches away from our curious faces. It was missing a foot and the bone protruded, making a screeching sound as it rubbed against the tiled floor. Thankfully the one-footed-infected continued limping past us, not even showing the slightest bit of interest.

That _awkward_ moment when a zombie is looking for brains and walks right past you. And I thought Lissa was the one lacking in the IQ department.

Without warning, an insidious growling noise echoed from behind us. I whirled around just in time for my eyes to meet with a bloody thirsty infected as it climbed over the counter towards us. It had once been a young boy, no older than ten. His eyes held a blank expression. His pale skin and tattered clothing were covered in a mixture of feces and blood.

The boy let another low growl before Collin instinctively spun around, shot gun cradled in his hands. The sound of Collin pumping the shot gun rang loud and clear. It was a sound that would intimidate me if I was on the receiving end of the barrel. He let off one round straight towards the boy's forehead. It was a single, destructive burst - the sound was absolutely deafening. The energy from the blast seemed to shake not only me, but sent quakes through the entire store. The smell of spent gunpowder filled the air.

Two shot gun shells clinked as they hit the floor tile. But the boy had dodged the shot and leaped towards Collin.

"Fuck!" Suddenly a hand clenched hard at my leg, dragging me out from under the cash register. The one-footed-infected placed all its weight atop me and gazed at me with hunger. Grey hair. Brown suit jacket. Replace the carnaged remnants of a deceased Lissa in his mouth with graded creative writing papers… _Mr. Hart? _The weight of his body kept me pinned; I began to panic and tried with all my strength to free myself from his hold. Sweat beaded on my forehead. I let out a scream. _Fight or flight. Do something! Run!_

Panic. Panic. Hart was about to dig his decaying teeth into my thigh. I thrashed hard, unable to escape his hold. Panic. Panic. Panic.

Then, I remembered the crowbar that was still in my hand – I drove the rusted steel bar straight through one of Hart's eyes. _Pop. _He let out a raspy squeal as the crow bar extended through to the other side of his skull. Quickly I was on my feet, using all the energy I had left to repeatedly hammer the steel bar into his skull.

_Crack_. The fire of a pistol blared in the background. Was Collin still alive? Another shot rang out. _Crack._

Looking down at my feet, the sight of my creative writing teacher's crushed skull dazed me for a moment. Six months ago this man was encouraging me to write. Granted it was a love-hate relationship, but still. Now I was staring at the heap of gore that was his skull fragments, teeth, and chunks of his brain splattered across the tiles before my feet.

"Jenna!" Collin yelled out at me from behind the register. He grabbed my arm hard, bringing me to his side.

Deep moans and carnivorous growls filled the store. Six zombies staggered towards us from the entrance. Drool began to hang from all of their mouths as they spotted their next meal. And the closest one was only ten feet away. There was no way we would reach the door without being attacked.

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**A/N**: What'd you guys think of this chapter? I didn't really like it. It felt forced. I really wanted to write and release another chapter tonight, but I just couldn't word it the way I had pictured it in my mind. I'll probably end up revising the majority of it. Or should I leave it? I don't know. I'm really not sure. But I hope everyone enjoyed it at least a little.

Anyways, I'd like to take a moment to thank some of the special people who have been an inspiration for this story so far.

Thank you _TheBestThingsInLifeArentThings, Seank19,_ and _Rizzo14193 _for being such a positive influence. Thank you _DevilToBeLoved, The Magician Of The Street, that's-a-moray, _and _MakoLovesMe _for contributing to the future of the story with OC submissions and general plot ideas. I'll consider it all. Thank you to the '_Guest_' who reviewed, even though you didn't really seem to like my story or style of writing. I hope you enjoyed when Mr. Hart got killed this chapter, since it was your suggestion.

And thank you to everyone else who has read, reviewed, followed, or favorite-d this story so far! I enjoy the feedback, even if it's criticism. Everything helps and it appreciated. And for those of you who haven't followed the story yet, feel free to do so if you'd like to be updated on new chapters and such. Thank you!


	5. Chapter 5

We were surrounded. The only exit in the entire store was blocked by a snarling horde of infected ready to gorge on our warm flesh. We stood still as stone behind the counter as the infected slowly approached us. There were only a few moments to do something.

My body was still in fight or flight mode. My palms sweated. My heart raced. I felt like I could pass out from the anxiety. And every fiber of my being was telling me to flee. Running had been my most effective survival instinct so far. But how could I escape? My mind began to race with possibilities. I could take my crowbar to Collin's head, knocking him unconscious and leave him here as zombie bait. On my way out I would probably have to bash in a few skulls to create an exit towards the door, but once I was out I'd be free and alive. _Run. Just run. Run or die. _

My thoughts were interrupted when Collin glided his hand down my arm, eventually placing his hand atop mine. His fingers interlaced with mine as he leaned his head down to whisper in my ear. "Everything's going to be okay." Then his grip on my hand became firm – he was holding my hand with a confidence that was almost believable. But I could feel the slight tremble of his body, his racing pulse, and the nervous moisture that had built up on his palms. He looked down at me and the apprehension in my eyes met with the false assurance that radiated from his stare. "We're going to get through this together.

And in an instant the urge to disappear fell apart. Did my compulsion to flee crumble because I had discovered some new form of security? Instead of running, I wanted to appreciate the stillness and companionship of the moment. Unfortunately there were still six zombies trying to devour our brains. Tightening the grip between our hands, I looked up at Collin with a newfound seriousness and whispered. "Don't let go."

It all happened extremely quickly – Everything was blurred almost as if it were a movie or a dream.

Suddenly we were hurdling over the counter of the cash register, dodging a few infected monstrosities as we rushed down one of the aisles. I was leading Collin as we sprinted for our lives down the aisle towards the back of the store. We reached the back of the store and it was an empty storage room with no exit. With nowhere else to go and the infected following only a few feet behind us, we had no choice but to quickly lock ourselves in the bathroom.

Mold was forming on the tiled walls of the dingy little restroom. The mold traveled up a few rolls of toilet paper that lie in the center of the room, turning the paper a brownish color. The rotting corpse of a dog was lying in the corner; not only had its throat been ripped out, but its organs poured out of its chest cavity. I wasn't sure if it was the sight of the mangled corpse, the odor of decay that flooded the air of the tiny space, the disgustingness of the bathroom, or all the adrenaline built up inside me – but I became sick to my stomach. Yellow bile escaped from my stomach. My entire body shook and tensed up. Sweat drenched my forehead.

Collin placed his hand on the small of my back, rubbing it gently until I was able to compose myself. But there was no possible way that his touch could hold reassurance - The sound of nails scratching against the wooden door startled both of us; even though we knew it was inevitable. The scratching was followed by ghoulish growls of hunger. _Bang. _The door began to creak. _Bang. _They were going to break down the door.

"Jenna, this is it." Collin spoke seriously, taking hold of my hand and staring into my eyes.

His hand, his stare, and that forced smile just couldn't comfort me during that moment. I had to do something. There had to be something we could do. Glancing around the tiny bathroom once more, my eyes caught notice of a small window near the celling. It was very high up, maybe even too high for Collin to reach, but luckily the toilet below was just a little to the right of it. A piece of cardboard dangled flimsily across the window, obviously in an attempt to cover it.

"Collin, look!" I yelled out, quickly moving to stand on the toilet. Frantic from the groans of hunger on the other side of the bathroom door, I leaned to the right and jumped a little towards the window to rip the cardboard off. Grabbing the crowbar from my back pocket, I turned my head for protection and swung, causing shards of glass to scatter across the tiled floor. Reaching out to place my fingertips on the ridge of the tiny window, I struggled to keep my balance. I couldn't reach it, there was no use. Even balancing on the tips of my toes, I still couldn't pull myself up into the window. I looked down at Collin with a mixture of defeat and fear. "It's too high up. You go first; you might be able to reach it."

"No, I'll help you." Suddenly Collin was lifting my legs up from the toilet seat, pushing me close enough that I could get my arms through the window.

_Bang. _The bathroom door was breaking. The ear-piercing sound filled my heart with terror. The loud crash of the door beginning to break was followed by excited groans. With half my body already through the window, I paused to look back at the wooden door that was falling to pieces – Eerily twisted smiles reached their lips as the infected tried to stick their arms through the holes in the door. The sound of the door knob giving out sent my heart pounding against my chest. Everything inside me was telling me to run. To jump out this window and run. To leave Collin as bait. But I didn't.

After all, it's one thing to run when you're being chased by something. It's an entirely different thing to be running all alone.

"Give me your hand!" With half of my body still in the bathroom, and the other half dangling outside, I balanced on the window sill. I held my hand out. Just as the door flew open, Collin's sweaty palm grabbed onto mine. Holding onto his grip tightly, I forced all of my weight through the window.

And then my body felt sore. My head pounded. Everything was black.

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**Author's Note: **As always, please leave a review! Everything is helpful, even if it's a horrible review. Please & thank you!


	6. Chapter 6

"Jenna, this is it."

We stood together in the bathroom of the dingy convenient store preparing for our final living moments on this planet. Taking her hand in my own, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about how the skin of her hand was harder than before. But in a different time, under different circumstances, I could remember that her hands were silky and soft – free of the calloused bruises and wounds.

The growling from the infected behind the door should have sent chills of terror up my spine, but instead I turned to Jenna and smiled. In in a moment that should have been filled with panic and dismay, my hand had instinctively sought out hers... something about that was spiritual to me. There is no other feeling that can compare to the comfort and security I felt with her hand in mine. Staring into her eyes, I studied the beauty that gleamed from those brown orbs. If this was really the end for me, I was grateful that I had someone to accompany me to whatever afterlife may lie ahead. As I stared down at Jenna reflecting on our final moments, I was interrupted by the darting movement of her eyes towards a tiny window covered with cardboard.

"Collin, look!" Jenna yelled out, quickly releasing her hand from mine and moving to stand atop the toilet. Her movements were frantic as she tried to reach the cardboard and she did struggle at first, but it only took a few seconds before she had ripped off flimsy piece of brown paper. Suddenly glass fragments collided with the linoleum tiles at my feet - with a crowbar she had created our escape route. Still, the window pane was too high for Jenna to reach. I watched as she attempted to lift herself up without any success.

"It's too high up. You go first; you might be able to reach it." Jenna looked down at me and spoke with the defeat evident in her voice.

We stared at each other for a few seconds and I couldn't help but analyze the meaning behind her actions. Was she really willing to sacrifice her own chance at survival to insure that I made it safely? In the end it didn't matter, because in that moment I was more interested in saving Jenna's life than my own. I could give Jenna a boost and try to climb over by myself. Although, I wasn't certain that I had sufficient strength to heave myself through and over the windowpane all by myself.

Fuck it. She needed someone to boost her up, and if I make it too, I guess that'll be unexpected extra.

"No I'll help you." My words were firm, leaving no room for hesitation from Jenna. I placed my arms securely around her legs, carefully catapulting her through the broken window pane.

I'd be lying if I said the sound of the wooden door giving way to a horde of starving infected failed to startle me. It must of frightened Jenna too, because she paused while she was halfway through the window to glance at the door that was crumbling to pieces.

"Give me your hand!" Jenna yelled, holding out her hand to me. The infected were so close that I could smell the foul odor emanating from their breath. Grabbing on to her hand, I jumped towards the top of the wall as she pulled her dangling body through the window.

We manage to clear the window and make it through, but we both impact heavily with the concrete on the other side. I lay still on the ground for a few seconds, stunned and breathless. The throbbing discomfort in my shoulder gives way to very sharp pains, but the agony is not unbearable. When I turn over to see Jenna, I see that she was not so lucky – the fall had left her unconscious on the ground.

"Jenna! Jenna!" Panicking, I quickly roll over and shake her. "Jenna, wake up!" But to no avail, she was seemingly comatose. Was she just unconscious? Was she dead? I racked my brain for recollections from health class. Placing my head against her chest, I listened and felt for her breathe. Fortunately her chest was still vacillating and her pulse was strong. I sat there for a moment, unsure what to do. I was hesitant to perform CPR or move her if she was seriously hurt internally. "Please wake up." I spoke quietly, placing my hand gently atop her head. As I stared down at her and wallowed in my lack of a plan of action, her eye lids fluttered open. "Jenna!"

"My… head… really… hurts…" She spoke slowly, obviously disorientated.

"You're going to be okay." My words were soft, trying to remain calm for her sake.

"Let's… go…" She spoke slowly again, trying to move herself slightly.

"No, don't move." I stopped her. Putting my arms beneath her, I lifted Jenna up into my arms as gently as I was able to and walked cautiously towards my car. She fell unconscious once again when she was within my embrace. Once I had her safely fastened into the passenger seat, I began driving without any real destination in mind. We passed abandoned store after abandoned store, but I was still unsure of where we should go. The sun was going to disappear soon and the infected were more accustomed to the shield of nightfall. When we reached an abandoned parking garage, I decided that this was probably a pretty safe location to sleep. Pulling up to the top floor, I put the truck in park and made sure the doors were locked. With Jenna sound asleep, I took off my jacket and placed it over her. Then I grabbed my shot gun and tried to settle in comfortably in my seat.

Staring at Jenna, I contemplated on my journey so far through this apocalypse. When it had all began, I was sure I could make it this far – I wasn't surprised to still be one of the few survivors. But Jenna Hamilton a survivor? Not to say that my encounter with her at our former school wasn't a pleasant _surprise_, but I just wasn't certain that she possessed the necessary ruthlessness and other essential characteristics that were considered survival skills.

Still, I was a survivor, and I could care for her, and I could save her. Maybe we could establish a survivor colony together. Maybe we could discover a cure for infection together. Maybe we could save the world together. Maybe we could fall in love and live happily ever after. I couldn't stop my wondering thoughts and I was truly frightened. Not of dying, or the infected, but terrified of failing this wonderful girl who had suddenly appeared in my life again.

Turning my gaze away from Jenna, I focused on the last sliver of sun before it disappeared.

The darkness engulfed the sky quickly. We were all alone, for now.

* * *

**Author's Note**: What did you think of the random Collin POV? Did you enjoy it? Hate it? Want to see more of it or never want to read a chapter from his perspective again? Leave a **review** and let me know what you think. On that note, I feel as if readers are taking a sort of hiatus from the Awkward fandom - which is normal since the show isn't returning until Fall (I know you're just as excited as I am for the New Jenna!). I might put this story on hold for awhile until the new season starts. Your thoughts? _**Should I take a break or continue on**_? As always - reviews are welcome and very much appreciated!


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